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Royalty Pharma Plc (NASDAQ: RPRX) shares rose 1.5% in after-hours trading on Monday after the company announced it had acquired the final portion of PTC Therapeutics’ remaining royalty interest in Evrysdi, a leading spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) treatment marketed by Roche. The transaction strengthens Royalty Pharma’s position in one of the most successful rare disease therapies on the market and provides long-term revenue visibility tied to Evrysdi’s global sales growth.
Under the terms of the agreement, Royalty Pharma will pay $240 million upfront to secure the royalty rights, with the potential for up to an additional $60 million in sales-based milestone payments. Upon completion of the deal, Royalty Pharma will own 100% of the tiered royalty structure on Evrysdi, which ranges from 8% to 16% of worldwide net sales. This acquisition further aligns with Royalty Pharma’s strategy of expanding its portfolio of high-quality, cash-generating biopharmaceutical royalties.
Evrysdi is an orally administered SMA treatment that received FDA approval in 2020 and has since been used by more than 21,000 patients worldwide. The drug generated approximately CHF 1.6 billion, or about $1.9 billion, in global sales in 2024, reflecting 18% year-over-year growth at constant exchange rates. Analyst consensus forecasts Evrysdi sales to reach CHF 2.3 billion, or roughly $2.9 billion, by 2030, highlighting the strong long-term growth outlook for the therapy.
The royalty structure provides increasing upside as sales grow. Royalty Pharma will receive 8% on annual sales up to $500 million, 11% on sales between $500 million and $1 billion, 14% on sales between $1 billion and $2 billion, and 16% on sales exceeding $2 billion. The company is expected to begin receiving the higher royalty rates in the first quarter of 2026, based on Evrysdi sales from the fourth quarter of 2025.
Goodwin and Maiwald acted as legal advisors to Royalty Pharma in connection with the transaction, which further solidifies the company’s exposure to a fast-growing rare disease market.
